The present invention relates to the fields of communications, particularly closed environment communication, local conferencing and the use of existing voice and data messaging systems in these fields of communication.
In meetings, conferences, classrooms and the like, a typical question-and-answer period allows attendees and participants to ask questions from the floor. In a large venue without amplification, others in the room often have trouble hearing the speaker. Commonly, a microphone is provided in one or more aisles or a portable microphone is passed to a person wishing to ask a question. This can force people to maneuver their seating towards the aisles where microphone access might be more easily available, or cause some significant and disturbing activity in audiences and lead to disruption of the underlying meeting. The movement of the microphones through the audience can be tedious, slow (e.g., from one extreme corner of a room to another) and cumbersome. There can also be such significant jousting for attention as to be disconcerting to participants and lead to a loss of audience control. The current system also may not work because a microphone is not available, does not work well, or there is no portable microphone handy near the participant who wishes to speak. Often, the participant speaker doesn't properly use a microphone—waving it about or placing it too far away from his or her mouth while speaking—thus negating the advantages of the microphone.
To address these issues, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/844,412, filed Mar. 15, 2013 by Kenneth N. Sherman and Andrew Livingston, and entitled, “Mobile Microphone System and Method,” (which is herein incorporated by reference) and related patent applications (including U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,144,893 and 8,452,026) describe ways in which personal mobile communications devices, including smartphones, such as the Apple iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, and the like, cellular telephones, PDA's (Personal Digital Assistants), electronic tablets, such as the Apple iPad, the ASUS Nexus 7 and the like with mobile communication applications, WiFi and Bluetooth laptop processors (PC and Mac), and other hand-sized, computer-based communication devices, can be especially used at large meetings, gatherings, conferences, etc. as microphones. Wireless telephone networks and local wireless networks are used with the personal mobile communications devices of the attendees and participants of the meeting.
Programmable personal mobile communications devices, such as smartphones, can be adapted as microphones by applications, sometimes termed “apps.” The present invention describes apps by which programmable personal mobile communications devices, such as a smartphone, can also be used into a portal for many other functions which are useful for meetings and the like, besides that of microphone. Such meeting functions allow for the easy management and operation of meetings and gatherings by the moderator/host and the straightforward participation and attendance by audience members for an enhanced experience.